Southampton were regularly linked with a move for Olivier Ntcham in the past and now that he has been released, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider bringing him in.

What's the word?

Southampton were linked with a move for the French midfielder last November but he ended up remaining at Celtic, before joining Marseille on loan in the winter transfer window.

Strangely, his transfer there led to Andre-Villas Boas resigning as manager and the French club did not exercise their option to buy the 25-year-old after he made just four Ligue 1 appearances in total last season.

It was confirmed yesterday that the midfielder had left Celtic, meaning that he is now available to sign on a free transfer.

Should Southampton sign Ntcham?

Although he may have struggled to impress in Marseille, Ntcham's performances at Celtic in prior seasons suggest that he could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl's side at Southampton this summer.

The Frenchman made 147 appearances for the Hoops in total, contributing 24 goals and 13 assists, helping Celtic win three Premiership titles during his time at the club.

Southampton have a good history in signing players from Celtic too, with Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Stuart Armstrong three players who proved to be bargain additions at St Mary's, so there is no reason why Ntcham couldn't also be a success, especially on a free transfer.

The former Manchester City youngster predominantly features in central midfield, a position which Hasenhuttl has suggested that Southampton will look to strengthen in this summer, so his signing would make a lot of sense.

He has featured across the midfield and the attack in his career thus far which suggests that he is very versatile, which is another quality Hasenhuttl likes his players to have.

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The 25-year-old, who was dubbed a "powerhouse" earlier in his career, would be a very low-risk transfer for Southampton this summer and could fill the hole left by Mario Lemina's departure, so Martin Semmens should definitely consider bringing him to St Mary's on a free transfer.

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